


Fixing Us

by free2write1017



Category: The Freshman & The Sophomore (Visual Novels)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-20 22:57:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14271360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/free2write1017/pseuds/free2write1017
Summary: "She felt her eyelids sting as the realization hit her. She slowly nodded, her chest constricting with dread. This was the life he was choosing and there was nothing she could do about it. Now she understood the gravity of the situation…and there was absolutely no way she could be a part of it."A re-imagined version of the big fight between Zig and the MC after the concert riot in The Freshman Book 3





	1. Broken

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!   
> So I wrote this little two-part fic right after the big fight between Zig and the MC in Book 3 of The Freshman. It brought up so many negative feelings for me and I had to get them out somehow. I also didn't love some of the choices I was forced to make during the fight so I felt like this little fic helped me resolve some of that frustration. Hope you like it!

The concert had ended worse than she could’ve imagined. Zig had started a huge fight and she and her friends were barely able to escape. Before disengaging from the fray and slipping out the back door, she’d spotted Kaitlyn disappear with that band backstage. At least she didn’t have to worry about her estranged roommate tonight.

Amazingly, she’d managed to grab Zig and get him to stop wailing on a random guy long enough to follow them out of the venue. She had yelled herself hoarse trying to get his attention and finally dodged a flailing arm to grasp and claw into his bicep. The pain had gotten his attention and she’d grimaced when she saw how disheveled he looked, but at least he wasn’t badly hurt. Once outside, she’d checked to make sure everyone else was okay. Zack and Tyler were shaken up but unharmed. Abbie was still hopped up on adrenaline from her own battle but also uninjured.

Zig had offered to give everyone a ride back to the dorms but her friends took one look at her face and politely declined. Somehow they knew she needed to be alone with Zig. Zack made up an excuse about wanting to make a stop on the way home and said they’d grab a taxi. Then he shot her a meaningful look and she nodded gratefully before they took off. Thank God for such amazing, intuitive friends.

As soon as they disappeared, she gripped Zig’s hand roughly and stomped toward the parking lot, almost dragging him to his car. She had never been more angry with him than she was in that moment.

She found herself thinking back to when he blew up at Chris and Arjun in the cafe. It had irritated her a little…mostly because he refused to listen to her when she’d tried to talk to him outside. She still regretted resorting to something as petty as snatching his cigarette away to get his attention but it had worked. Eventually they’d both calmed down enough to talk and somehow she’d convinced him to help out. That day, she had almost no problem accepting his anger.

But this… _ this _ was the last straw.

“Could you please slow down?! This is ridiculous!” Zig nearly shouted. He was fuming…she could tell without looking. And she didn’t care.

“No! And  _ you’re _ the one being ridiculous. Now, get in!” she spat out.

They’d finally reached his car and she narrowed her eyes at him, motioning for him to get in the driver’s seat. He glared back at her stubbornly and for a moment she swore he was going to challenge her to the staring contest of all staring contests. But after a matter of seconds, he begrudgingly unlocked the doors and fell into his seat with a huff. The doors slammed shut, the automatic locks clicked, and then she wheeled around on him.

“What the hell, Zig?! Dammit…what were you thinking?!”

His eyes narrowed to angry slits. “I still don’t get it! What are you mad at me for?!”

“Do you seriously even need to ask that question?!” She motioned to his face where his lip had been cut. She lifted his hand to show the raw, swollen knuckles that were already bruising. He recoiled, snatching his hand away, and stared straight in front of him.

“I did what I had to do,” he muttered.

“No, you didn’t! You did what you  _ wanted _ to do. There was no reason for any of this to happen!”

He shifted in the driver seat so he was facing her again, his hand gripping the steering wheel. “So, I’m just supposed to stand by and let some piece of shit douchebag shove you to the ground?!”

“It was an accident!

“The hell it was! I saw the whole thing. That asshole pushed you on purpose!”

She threw her hands up in exasperation. “He stumbled out of the mosh pit and fell into me!”

“How do you know?!” he shot back. “Your back was to him! You turned to tell me how fun the pit looked and I glanced up just in time to see him shove you. I couldn’t react fast enough to catch you but I was more than ready to rearrange his face.”

A dark look clouded his eyes and she sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You know what? It doesn’t even matter. Clearly we both saw it differently. The bottom line is that you are out of control. This constant anger and fighting needs to stop!”

He bristled. “Constant? So I’m angry all the time? Is that it?!”

“It’s starting to feel that way!”

He sighed in exasperation. “So when we went to the bar together and played pool…and the day I helped you babysit Rico…and when I picked you up and we talked after you hung out with James before he left…I was angry all those times?”

“Well, no…”

“Okay, then!”

“Fine, maybe I was overgeneralizing. But what you’re doing is still dangerous, Zig. Not only could you end up in jail, but you could end up hurt. You’re not invincible. And tonight  _ I  _ could’ve gotten hurt in that brawl. You get that, right?”

He nodded, frowning. “Yeah, I get it.”

She eyed him hopefully. “So, you’ll stop all of this…physical aggression?”

“Hell no!”

She growled angrily. “Are you  _ serious  _ right now?!”

“Yes! I will never stop doing whatever it takes to protect you! Tonight got out of hand but it won’t happen that way next time.”

“Next time?! No. No next time, Zig.”

He shook his head. “I thought you understood. This is what I believe needs to be done. This is how I get  _ justice _ .”

“I understand very well. But it doesn’t mean I’m on board with it. And you know what else? You’re not helping any causes by doing this. What happens when you get arrested? Go to jail? How will you protect me then?!”

“I won’t let that happen. I’ll be more careful but I will not just stand by like a coward and do nothing when I see you being hurt.” He shot her a glance. “And I  _ never _ said I was a vigilante trying to help a cause. I have to protect the people I care about. And this is the best way I know how. No matter what, I’ll always do what needs to be done.”

She felt her eyelids sting as the realization hit her. She slowly nodded, her chest constricting with dread. This was the life he was choosing and there was nothing she could do about it. He valued himself so little that he didn’t seem to care about any consequence to his behavior…as long as he honored his own code, that’s all that mattered. Now she understood the gravity of the situation…and there was absolutely no way she could be a part of it.

“Then I have to do what needs to be done, too. And that means we shouldn’t see each other anymore.”

Her voice nearly broke at the end of her statement but she set her jaw firmly.  The look on his face was a mixture of hurt and disbelief and seeing it caused an ache to settle within her.

“You really mean that?” He sounded eerily calm and she nodded.

“Yeah, I do. You’ve given me no choice. I won’t stand by and watch you ruin your life. I won’t put myself in danger either.”

He blinked as if he’d been slapped. “You really think I’d hurt you? That I’d  _ let _ you get hurt?” He sounded wounded and she swallowed around the lump in her throat.

“No, not on purpose. But the fact that you choose to resolve issues this way, regardless of the situation, means it will always be a possibility. It’s too much for me, Zig. I’m sorry.”

He was completely stunned and she stared blankly out the window, wiping away tears. They weren’t even officially together, so why did this hurt so much? Why did it feel like they were breaking up?

After a moment, the car engine roared to life.

“Fine.” He sounded resigned and broken and her eyes welled up. This empty feeling was going to get far worse before it got better…she could see that now.

They drove back to her dorm in silence, save her hushed sniffles. It was taking all of her strength to hold back the sobs that wanted to break through. But she wouldn’t let herself completely break down in front of him.

When they finally pulled into the parking lot, she quickly unfastened her seatbelt and reached for the door handle. Almost instantly, she was stilled by Zig’s warm hand hesitantly touching her arm. She paused long enough to glance at him and the sadness and devastation in his expression was beyond what she could handle. Her vision blurred and she looked away as tears trailed down her cheeks. As if deciding not to speak after all, he released her and shifted his gaze forward again, crossing his arms against his chest.

She released a choked sigh as she nearly jumped up and out of the passenger seat. It was as if she couldn’t get away from him fast enough. She shut the car door behind her and the finality of it made her shudder. This was it…he wasn’t going to be a part of her life anymore. She could no longer hold back the tears as she walked blindly toward her dorm, willing herself not to look back. She knew he’d be watching to make sure she made it in safely so she had to be strong and keep moving. This was for her own good…right?

Hours later, as she lay awake in bed anxiously waiting for sleep to overtake her, she found herself asking that same question over and over again.

 


	2. In Repair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the conclusion, aka Part 2, of the story. I really hope you enjoy it! Feel free to leave a comment to let me know your thoughts. :)

She didn’t think she’d miss him this much.

She’d thought numerous times about texting him but it never felt like the right time. Or maybe she was just scared. Regardless, whatever apprehension she’d felt before had faded long ago. And now…she simply needed to touch his hand and wanted to be able to look into his eyes.

 _Just go to him_ , she chided herself. He still worked at the cafe obviously…her friends had reminded her of that fact over and over. She hadn’t been there at all since the fight and now it just seemed silly to try to make an appearance. It had only been two weeks since they’d last seen each other. But it was the longest two weeks of her life.

The first few days, Abbie, Zack, and Tyler had given her space. Chris had already been giving her space in the sense that the student council continued consuming his life. And Kaitlyn was barely still a roommate, considering she now spent more days than not with Natasha. But, by the end of the second week, the comments started. Tyler would mention how reserved Zig seemed. Abbie noticed how he would still smile and chat with customers but there was no substance behind it. He seemed….depressed, Zack would chime in. She finally asked them to stop updating her. She knew they thought they were helping her, but knowing he was possibly as miserable as she was only made things worse.

She’d spent a lot of time writing in her journal, working on the novel, and staring up at the ceiling of her room aimlessly. She was caught up on her chapters and her last meeting with Professor Atiyah had gone really well. Apparently she’d finally found her voice and the writing felt like second nature now. Classes were going great too and all her grades were up. Academically she was killing it. But her personal life was in shambles. Every time she thought about reaching out to him,  she’d remember the concert fight and stop. He hadn’t contacted her either but that was no surprise…she’d made it clear she wanted nothing to do with him.

 _Maybe I hurt him._ She couldn’t help thinking about how judgmental she’d  sounded in the car. And now, he probably viewed her as just another person who didn’t support him.

 _No. You weren’t judging him…you were setting a boundary. He needed a wake up call._ She argued back at herself furiously.

_True…but did I have to abandon him? Why couldn’t we have tried to work together? Why couldn’t we have waited to talk about everything until a few days after the concert? Emotions were too high that night and that discussion got heated fast._

Still, she didn’t regret her feelings…she regretted the timing. And she regretted making it seem like he was only defined by his anger. He meant so much more to her than that.

_He will always mean so much more to me than that._

By the middle of the second week apart, she finally made the decision to talk to him. She wanted to apologize for the things she did and said wrong. If they weren’t going to be able to spend time together or be together, they could at least end on civil terms. Maybe she could even start going to the cafe again.

She gathered her phone and purse, glanced at herself in the mirror and sighed. Even if this didn’t work…at least she could say she tried. After all, nothing could hurt worse than the last night they’d spent together on the way home from the concert.

She walked toward the front door of the suite and gripped the knob. With only the slightest hesitation, she pulled it open…and nearly jumped out of her skin.

Zig was standing right there at her doorstep, in the process of raising his hand as if preparing to knock on the door.

“Zig!” She squealed involuntary and placed a hand on her chest, trying to regulate her breathing as he gave a small smile. Damn him…he was still as gorgeous as ever. And the time apart made it even more obvious than before.

“Hey! Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. Wow, um, this is some crazy timing, huh?”

He looked more nervous than she’d ever seen him. All she wanted to do was sink into his embrace and lose herself there. But she held back, not knowing what he wanted.

“Yeah.” She nodded anxiously, slipping a lock of hair behind her ear. They both stood awkwardly at the door and after a brief pause, he plunged in.

“Look, I probably shouldn’t have popped up like this. I know you said we can’t see each other anymore and so we haven’t but I just needed to…” he trailed off, finally seeming to notice her purse and house keys in hand. “Oh, you were going somewhere, weren’t you?”

She blushed deeply. “Yes. I was headed to the cafe. To…um…see you.” She eyed the floor and noticed him begin to move toward her. She looked up again and into his kind yet also sad eyes. She’d missed them…missed _him_ so much.

“Is it okay if I…come in?”

“Yeah,” she whispered and he let himself all the way in, closing the door behind him.

They stood face to face in silence once more and she felt longing and relief well up inside. She couldn’t believe he was standing right before her like this.

“So, do you have a second to talk? I just have a few things to say and then I’ll get out of your hair.”

The look in his eyes was so lost and regretful and she finally gave in to her urge. She threw herself into his arms and clutched his waist tightly. She didn’t want him to go anywhere. Within seconds, he wrapped her up just as tightly, resting his chin on her hair.

“God, I missed you so much,” he breathed. He was holding her like he never wanted to let her go and that’s exactly what she wanted him to do. Momentarily they separated and continued their eye contact as if they hadn’t seen each other in years.

“I missed you, too. A lot. Now, come on…let’s sit.” She nodded toward the couch and he followed. They both sat perched there, facing each other and she placed a hand on his arm.

“I know you wanted to say something. But, if you don’t mind, I’d like to start by saying I’m sorry.” She began. Zig looked back at her in shock.

“What? No, please…this was all my-”

“Zig, just let me say this, okay?”

He frowned but finally gave a nod. “Alright.”

She took in a deep breath before continuing. Her nerves were completely frayed and her hands were shaking slightly from the weight of her feelings, but this had to be done.

“I know the last time we talked was pretty…rough.”

He shook his head, grimacing. “That’s one way of putting it.”

She smiled weakly. “I said a lot of things to you about your anger and being out of control. I was upset and so none of it came out right but I was worried about you. I am worried about you still.”

At some point he had slipped his hand around hers. She hadn’t noticed how much she missed his touch until she felt it right then. Instantly her hands stopped shaking and she began to feel much more calm.

“All I want is for you to be happy. And as much as I appreciate that you would do anything to protect me, I don’t want you to sacrifice yourself and your future in the process. So, Zig, I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you. I said some hurtful things and I really regret it. If I could do it again, I would’ve waited until things weren’t so crazy. Maybe we could’ve talked about things calmly and avoided all this drama.”

He shook his head slightly. “But you were right. Everything you said was right.”

His voice was so insistent and her eyes widened in surprise. He chuckled.

“I’m sure that’s the last thing you expected me to say. The truth is, I’ve had a lot of time to think over the past few weeks. And I talked to my mom. It helped me see things a little differently.”

She remained silent, now clutching both of his hands in both of hers. It sounded like he’d had his own personal journey recently and she wasn’t about to interrupt.

“My mom was always worried about me. She knew I would protect my family with all I have. She was afraid I’d get myself into trouble doing that. And here I am, living proof that she was right to be worried.”

His expression darkened. “You know, I never told you the whole story about my dad but….”

He suddenly stopped talking, taking in a deep breath. She could tell he was struggling with strong emotions.

“Hey, look. I get that you have a history with him. You don’t have to do this right now,” she said gently.

“No. I want to. You’re important to me and so…I want to share it with you.”

She smiled sadly as her heart pounded hard in her chest. He had no idea how important he was to her too.

“Sure. Whenever you’re ready.”

He paused once more before launching in.

“My dad abused my mom. I only ever saw him yell at her or grab her…kind of like Sebastian did to you. That happened a lot. But more than that, we _heard_ their fights. They’d wait until late at night when they thought we were asleep, I guess. He’d call her every horrible name he could think of at the top of his lungs. My mom would shout and curse him back. We could hear glass breaking and furniture being knocked over. My sisters would end up in my room, huddled up with me. The younger ones would cry quietly, too afraid he’d hear them and start hurting us. My older sister wouldn’t cry, but I could see in her eyes that she was scared. I just needed to protect them.”

“God, Zig…” she trailed off. No wonder he was so angry whenever he saw her threatened. She squeezed his hands gently. “How awful.”

His jaw clenched. “I’m not trying to justify my actions anymore…I just want to be open with you from now on. I want us to understand each other better.”

“So, when I talked to my mom recently, we discussed the incident with my sister’s ex back in high school. And I finally told her what’s been happening here. She didn’t get mad. Just commented that I must really care for you since I’ve been so physical about protecting you.” He blushed. “But she was concerned that I was going down a bad path again. She also told me that she’s grateful for all I’ve done to protect her and the girls but that it’s time for me to invest in myself.”

Her mouth dropped open, remembering that the same words had come out of her own mouth not too long ago. “Did she _actually_ say that?”

He nodded, smirking. “Yeah. You definitely remind me of her sometimes. But she wasn’t necessarily talking about school. She was talking about my emotional health.”

He glanced up and was met by her perplexed look. Zig was just angry…not crazy. Was it really this serious?

“Let me explain. She said she talked to a professional therapist after leaving my dad and it really helped her. She knows of someone around here who works in that field and she gave me a number for anger management classes. But I did some research and discovered that what I went through as kid is a big part of why I am the way I am now. So when I called, I asked about individual therapy. “

“Wow, Zig. Are you sure that’s what you need?”

He shrugged, biting at his lip anxiously.“I think so. What I learned from my reading is that anger management focuses on me keeping myself from getting aggressive when something sets me off. But therapy will address the fact that my history is what leads to me being set off in the first place. And until I deal with that…it’ll be a constant battle to fight those feelings. I want to get better from the inside, not just put a bandage on the outside.”

She smiled, gently. It was amazing to her how far he’d come in such a short time.

“That makes sense to me and I think it’s a great idea. I’m excited for you, Zig. So, when are you starting?”

“Next week. I’m a little nervous but I know I need it.”

“I could go with you if you need some support. I wouldn’t go into your session, of course, but I could sit and wait for you while you’re in there.”

He smiled, the expression reaching his eyes for the first time since she’d met him. “Thanks, but it’s okay. I feel like I need to do this on my own.”

Another slight pause came and she sensed more nervousness from him. But, within seconds, he plunged in again. “So now it’s my turn to apologize to you. Not only about our fight but also the other stuff. The first day I met you, I shouldn’t have gotten involved with Sebastian. And at the concert…I really shouldn’t have started that fight. Like you said, something bad could’ve happened to you during all of that. And I would’ve never forgiven myself. I’m really sorry. Will you accept my apology?”

He had a pleading look in his eyes and she smiled, gently stroking his cheek. “Of course, Zig. Just as long as you forgive me for how I came at you that night.”

He paused as if thinking. She knew he still didn’t think he deserved an apology. But she wasn’t about to let him off the hook. Finally he sighed in mock defeat.

“If it’ll make you feel better than, yes. I accept it.”

“That means a lot. Thanks. Hey, so, um… are you free tomorrow?” The words rushed out of her mouth before she could stop them and she felt her body temperature rise slightly.

He smiled, a playful glint in his eye. “Why? Are you trying to score a date with me?”

This time the heat hit her cheeks hard but she lightly tapped him on the arm. “You’re such a jerk. And I don’t need to score a date with you. If I remember correctly, _you’re_ the one who said you’re always eager for a chance to see me.”

He chuckled. “You’re not wrong. I did say that. So, let me take you out tomorrow night…since I’m free.”

“Oh, thanks for clarifying that. And sure, I’ll let you take me out.” They both laughed lightly and she relished in how good it felt to be able to talk like this with him again. Once their laughter died down, they both sat quietly, still holding hands.

“I know we’ve got a lot to work on still but I feel good about this. Things are going to be different between us now.” Her tone was quiet yet thoughtful and he nodded.

“I feel the same. And you’re right…things will be different. But in our case, there’s nothing wrong with that at all.”

“Yeah…just as long as _certain_ things stay the same.”

She locked eyes with him then, her gaze flitting over his frame quickly before returning to his eyes. It only took a moment for them to convey the message to each other. Without a word, she crawled onto his lap, her arms winding around his neck, and pressed her lips to his. He gripped her hips, his hands momentarily sliding down the length of her bare thighs.

She ran her hands through his hair as he slipped his palms back up and under her dress. His fingertips gently grazed her waist and a soft moan escaped her lips. Just then, a buzzing sound could be heard coming from Zig’s pocket. He reached to grab it as she continued kissing his neck. One quick glance at the screen and he nearly jumped up in alarm.

“Shit! I’m gonna be late for work.”

He stole a few more tender kisses before slowly easing her off his lap. She released an exaggerated groan. “Aw, man…”

“I know and I’m sorry. Tomorrow we’ll pick up where we left off. Okay?” He got to his feet, trying to hurriedly fix his clothes and hair.

She pretended to pout. “Fine.”  Then she stood in front of him and brushed back a few stray locks of his hair. She gave him a satisfied nod. “There. Perfect.”

He leaned down to give her a tender, lingering kiss on the cheek before opening the door. “Thanks. Can I text you later?”

“You better.”

He grinned before giving her a wink and disappearing out the door.

She smiled to herself, feeling happy for the first time in a long time. Just then, she heard her phone chime from the table. She glanced down and saw a text from him.

_Miss you already. ;)_

Her smile widened as she shook her head and began writing a reply.

There was still damage to repair and fences to mend between them. But they were on the right track again. That’s more than she had thought was possible for them.

And for once, she was excited about what tomorrow might bring.

 


End file.
